ROBERT/EDEN/CRUZ, SANTA BARBARACruz and Eden were one of those soap opera couples who union was thought sacred by the audience. Constantly fending off outside intrusions and impending danger, Cruz and Eden served as SANTA BARBARA's anchor. As long as they could get back together again, the daytime world could sleep at night. But now they face a more serious threat -- Eden's former lover Robert Barr -- and the audience can't decide with whom she should go. Even die-hard Cruz and Eden lovers are rooting for Eden's mysterious underdog. This creates numerous story possibilities in the basic peril-and-rescue pattern of Cruz and Eden's relationship and allows actors A Martinez and Marcy Walker to stretch their acting muscles and explore new facets of their familiar characters. Roscoe Born's Robert Barr is the surprise homewrecker of the year, a character who immediately intrigued and challenged the audience.